Traditional Publication Steps Seminar

The Author Agent Collaboration

Elizabeth Kracht & Norm Thoeming (writing as August Norman)

Wednesday June 24, 9-11:30 AM, Pacific Ballroom

When the Dream Comes True

This seminar will reveal what agents look for in authors, as well as what authors should look for in agents.

  • The traditional publishing submission process: How it works, how long does it take, how you might view rejections

  • When you get a deal with a publisher: What should you look for in the contract, advance payments, royalty structure, foreign, film, tv and audio rights, multibook agreements and when should you agree, when should you push back

  • Working with an editor: Deadlines, expectations, layout, and when to pushback

  • Working with publicity and marketing: Platform expectations, titles, pen names, getting blurbs, rollout schedule, third-party publicist

  • And more: Bookstore signings, podcasts, literary associations, conference, author panels, award nominations

  • The final push, the big release, and how to make the next dream come true

August Norman’s debut thriller, Come and Get Me - A Caitlin Bergman Novel, was released by Crooked Lane Books in 2019. The second, Sins of the Mother, was released in 2020. He’s an active member of the Mystery Writers of America, the International Thriller Writers, and Sisters in Crime, and regularly attends the Santa Barbara Writers Conference. Originally from central Indiana, author August Norman, also known as Norm Thoeming, has called Los Angeles home for two decades, writing for and/or appearing in movies, television, stage productions, web series, and commercial advertising.

Elizabeth Kracht joined Kimberley Cameron & Associates in the fall of 2010 and is the author of The Author's Checklist: An Agent's Guide to Developing and Editing Your Manuscript. She represents both literary and commercial fiction as well as nonfiction and brings to the agency experience as a former acquisitions’ editor, freelance publicist, and writer. Elizabeth's eclectic life experience drives her interests. She appreciates writing that has depth, an introspective voice, and is thematically layered. Having lived in cities such as New York, San Francisco, and San Juan, Puerto Rico, she is compelled by multicultural themes and characters and is drawn toward strong settings.